Despite the universe’s best efforts to thwart all that is good
Despite the universe’s best efforts to thwart all that is good
Article by Tianya
This show’s got everything a growing boy needs: R-rated gore, post-traumatic survivalist sex in the woods, visceral intestinal camouflage, stark meditations on the true solitude of man. The freakin’ works! And the best part … it’s just been picked up for a 13-episode Season 2. So now, all us fans of the acclaimed Robert Kirkman comic book can start rambunctiously postulating about where the series will head next year. Will The Walking Dead stay along the same path as the books or will it head off in a completely different direction? Either way, you better believe we’ll be along for the ride. Any show that’s chock-full of tragedy, despair and rampant mutilation is right up our Atlanta alley.It’s understandable if some were dubious about this series going in. In remake-happy Hollywood, this was the fourth version of this story in the past two decades, including the popular USA Network series that ran for five seasons. But this new Nikita has quickly proven its merit, offering an exciting new take on the material. By picking up with Nikita after she’s gone rogue and abanonded the people who turned her into a killer, showrunner Craig Silverstein has found a way to approach the story from a fresh perspective. Meanwhile, we still get to see what Nikita’s training was like thanks to Alex — the young girl Nikita has placed as a mole within Division, to help her take the place down. Nikita boasts a lot of clever twists and turns, plus plenty of great fight scenes. As the title character, Maggie Q is believably strong and plenty sexy, while Lyndsy Fonseca strikes the right balance between vulnerability and resolve as Alex. The use of flashbacks to fill in bits of the back-story are well done, spread out among different aspects of the characters’ pasts, and as the season has progressed, we’ve gotten some fun new elements added to the overall mythology.
Ultimately, Nikita offers smart, beautiful women kicking ass in the midst of strong and compelling storytelling. What more do you need? If you’re looking for a quirky, funny and continually enjoyable new comedy, look no further than Outsourced! Oh, wait. N0. Sorry… don’t do that. Watch Raising Hope instead!
Creator Greg Garcia previously brought us My Name is Earl, and Raising Hope evokes that show, with a similar look at a somewhat lower class group of characters. However, the series somehow manages to have fun, while not feel like it’s simply insulting them. There’s definitely a dark undercurrent to some of the humor, which was proven early on in the pilot when the criminal mother of baby Hope was executed in the electric chair.
A very likable cast (headed by Lucas Neff as young father Jimmy) includes the essential Martha Plimpton and Garret Dillahunt as Jimmy’s tough, crass, but loving parents. Both are great, and Dillahunt — best known for playing creepy killers in projects like Deadwood, Last House on the Left and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles — is especially surprising and seemingly having a ball as a guy who has no problem telling his adult son on Halloween, “I’ve been egging houses with 12-year-olds all night. Do you think there’s any possible way I’m sober?”From there, it’s a long look ahead at a huge week for TV premieres. We give our initial thoughts on Boardwalk Empire, Lone Star, The Event, Hawaii Five-0, Chase, Raising Hope, Running Wilde, Undercovers Detroit 1-8-7, My Generation, $ #*! My Dad Says, Blue Bloods and more! Whew!
Finally, we wrap up with a chat about this past week’s True Blood season finale and why we weren’t so pleased with it.Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James (as Hank and Brit — two blue-collar P.I.s who get mixed up in a corrupt and deadly land deal that’s way above their pay-grade) are infectiously charming. Everyone on this show, from Raymond-James to Karina Logue to Laura Allen, is incredible, but the role of ex-cop Hank Dolworth is perhaps the best thing that veteran performer Logue has ever done. Playing Hank allows Logue to seamlessly shift back and forth between drama and wit; that hard to reach “acting” place which has always suited him best. Another shout out is needed for Michael Gaston’s truly wretched lawyer villain, Ben Zeitin.Yes, the fall TV season is nearly upon us, and with it plenty of returning favorites and intriguing new series – and, of course, some shows you might want to avoid. IGN is here to help guide you through the channels, as we spend this entire week looking at the season and series premieres that await in the weeks to come.
So join us for Day 1 of IGN’s 2010 Fall TV Preview, which takes us from September 7th to September 17th and brings us Jedi, bikers, sexy spies and more! Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman
FX’s biggest hit ever, Sons of Anarchy, blazes back to your TV for an intense new season that picks up with Jax reeling from the abduction of his son, Abel. Look forward to several episodes taking place in Belfast, Ireland as Lost’s Titus Welliver returns as the leader of True IRA, Jimmy O.
Also this season, look for Welliver’s fellow Deadwood alumni Robin Weigert as the club’s lawyer and Ally Walker’s return as Agent June Stahl. What else is on tap? Well, Dayton Callie (“Sheriff Unser”) has been made a series regular and horror-meister Stephen King will pop by for a cameo. They don’t make shows grittier or more captivating than SOA, so don’t miss out on all the sickeningly awesome SAMCRO action! Who knew Clark Kent had a thing for cheerleaders that extended beyond Lana Lang? Yes, Smallville’s Tom Welling is an executive producer on this series, which follows the adventures of Marti (Alyson Michalka), a snarky pre-med student who goes from insulting her school’s cheerleading squad to joining them, when she needs a scholarship that goes along with it.
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